UW-L football coach Janus hopes to shatter attendance record again, as Eagles host playoff for 1st time since 2006

Earlier this season, 5,514 came to watch the UW-La Crosse football team crowd, setting the attendance record at Roger Harring Stadium.

Saturday, UW-L coach Matt Janus hopes they can break that record again, as the fourth-ranked Eagles host their first home playoff game since 2006.

“That would be awesome,” UW-L coach Matt Janus said. “It’s pretty special, we played in two games already this year that were record-breaking attendance numbers. And to be able to break our attendance record at home is so special.

“The biggest X factor that we have over everyone else is the love that they (the players) have for La Crosse and what makes it so special and why it’s an X factor because the city just loves them right back. They can feel that and they can play off that so I certainly hope that we can break that record again.”

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UW-L’s previous attendance record was set in 2016 against UW-Whitewater. The Eagles also were part of a record-breaking crowd at Whitewater this season, where over 20,000 were in the stands to see UW-L take down the powerhouse.

At noon, UW-L (9-1) hosts Minnesota-Morris (7-3) in the first round of the Division III playoffs. Pregame is set for 11:45 a.m. and will stream live on WKTY. The Eagles, who are playing in their third consecutive playoff, are one of four top seeds in the tournament.

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Looking at Minnesota-Morris, Janus said earlier this week the biggest worry is their thunder-lighting combo at running back.

“What’s scary about them is their two running backs,” Janus said. They run kind of an option — a gun-option type team. I think they have two really good running backs that are nice pieces. One’s really big and is still shifty and the other one is really fast.

“So, they do a good job with their option so it’s going to be a different look for our defense.”

That thunder-lightning pair consists of 5-foot-8, 200-pound Izayah Boss and 6-2, 220-pound Blake Johnson.

Boss has rushed for 892 yards on 126 carries (7.1 avg.), while Johnson has 697 yards on 147 carries (4.6 avg.). They’ve combined for 25 touchdowns.